MISC – Page 357 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Homemaker Monday and Tempting Tuesday

Sandra at the Diary of a Stay at Home Mom has started her own Happy Homemaker Monday as a way of tying everything all together. I love it – a virtual accounting of the week. I have been wanting to simplify many of the memes I do and this is where I’m going to start. I’m anything but a simple woman, but really do need to simplify my life! So I’m combining many memes into the same post as a way to organize my week.

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven Making a Happy Home Monday is hosted by LL at As for me and my house… Tempt My Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace Tips on Tuesday is hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Outside my window: It’s snowing and predicted to snow again tomorrow so I know the day will dawn gray and cold.

On my bedside table/what I’m reading: The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg which I’m hoping to finish tonight.

From the Kitchen: World Peace Cookies (salted chocolate) tomorrow for Tuesdays with Dorie and lots of leftovers

Homemaking Tip I’m Sharing: Using mineral oil on your wooden kitchen utensils will extend their life.

On the menu for tonight: CORN (clean out refrigerator night)

New Recipe I’m sharing:
CREAMY STUFFED SHREDDED POTATO CASSEROLE
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 large bunch green onions, minced
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the potatoes in their skins the day before or early in the morning of the day you want to make this casserole and refrigerate them.
Melt butter in double boiler.
Add cheese and blend until melted.
Add sour cream, onions,garlic, salt and pepper. Blend well and remove from heat.
Peel the potatoes.
Grate the potatoes and toss with the cheese mixture.
Lightly spray an 8×8 or 9×9 casserole with PURE.
Pour mixture into casserole.
Bake 45 minutes.

This recipe can be made ahead and baked when needed.

Around the House/On my To Do List: Working on the kitchen and all the touch up paint around the house.

What I’m creating: A finished home so we can move forward with our lives and an apron for a swap this week.

In the craft basket: Perpetually sooooooooooo many UFO’s and sketches for stained glass pieces that I hope to get to soon.

Looking forward to: SPRING (I’m counting on Punxsatawney Phil this morning) and our upcoming Family Reunion

I am thinking & hoping: That I really need a break from the work around here for a few days, but it’s always here staring at me!

Favorite Blog Post of the week: I wish I had had time to do blog reading this week, but I intend to get caught up soon. Bear with me, I’m still working on it.

Favorite photo from last week:

From the learning room: Nothing new this week.

Lesson learned the past few days: Don’t take anything for granted. Life is short and precious and cannot be relived.

I am Thankful for: The light at the end of the tunnel being turned on.

On my Prayer List: Our country as we move into a new regime.
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: Proverbs 8:20-23
I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

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Sports Figures & Role Models

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heat-wadesgift&prov=ap&type=lgns

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Simply Delicious Sunday [5]

SAUSAGE SPINACH BAKE

1 pound sausage, browned and drained
1 box chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup flour
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 eggs, well beaten
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese (ot white cheese of choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9×9 baking dish lightly with PURE.
Layer sausage in the bottom followed by the spinach.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs and milk together.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and Parmesan cheese.
Add egg mixture and flour mixture together until well mixed.
Pour over spinach layer.
Top with the Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake 45 minutes or until eggs are set and a knife comes out clean and cheese is golden.

This prepares well the night before and then it’s ready to bake in the morning with no mess. Tomorrow I’ll add a picture of it baked.

I look forward to seeing your home style recipes! Don’t forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so we can see what’s cooking at your house! Be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much easier for everyone to search for recipes.

I also participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, $5 Dinners is hosted by Erin at $5 DInners and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

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Unconcious Mutterings

Unconscious Mutterings

1.Take :: Indian Giver
2. 350 :: degrees
3. Stand :: up for yourself
4. Raspberry :: jam and Monte Cristo sandwiches
5. Turnstile :: Crowds
6. Infomercial :: time to change the channel
7. Dejected :: obsolete
8. What’s the word? :: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
9. Awestruck :: not usually
10. Smashed :: New Year’s Eve

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Obsessions & Revelations Part 2

I love my blogging friends that I have met over the past couple of years. It takes awhile sometimes to get the feel for a new blog. Not so with Janet over at Fond of Snape. I felt like I was having a cup of coffee at her kitchen table and chatting from the very beginning. Janet surprised me this morning by giving me this tag via email! Thanks Janet! I would love to give it right back to you!

For this award, I am supposed to list 5 things I am addicted to, and 5 blogs I am addicted to. This is hard for me (there are sooooooooooo many), but I’ll try for the next top 5.

Quilt Patterns – I always have a new project in my mind and when I see a piece of fabric that fits, I have to stash it away. Hey they may discontinue it before I get around to that project.
Writing ~ I keep writing cookbooks. I just need to find a publisher. I still have a novel or two running around my brain too. I just need the time to get them onto paper.
Coffee ~ I love my coffee and really love Starbucks Caramel Mocha Cappucinnos. Thank goodness there isn’t one within 125 miles.
Blogging – I just love the creative process. I have always kept some form of a journal, but this is better, it’s interactive with comments and constructive ideas with a sisterhood of special women and it is constantly being updated and improved.
Cooking/Recipes – I love to cook and I just adore creating new recipes or modernizing old ones to eliminate preservative full foods.

And now on to my addictive blogs. This is the second time I have received this which is great because now can pass it on to 5 more wonderful bloggers. There are so many blogs that I love to visit. but these are some more like when I met Jen, just chatting over coffee at the kitchen table like long lost friends. ~ There is always something new to see or a special ‘trip’ to virtually take over at Sandra’s. I can’t wait to see each day what she has going on.

Shannon at Shannon’s Moments of Introspection ~ She always has something new and fun going on.
Tammy at Queen Size Funny Bone ~ She always has something brewing over there and I love how she speaks her mind, it’s so refreshing.
Mimi at Screaming Mimi~ She has well thought out posts on day to day life and how to have some fun too.
Kiy at Rocking Chairs and a Tricycle ~ There is always something creative going on and I love how she wears her heart openly.
Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven ~ She also has well thought out posts on day to day life and how to have some fun too. And with all the kids I love how she answers every single comment. I try very hard to emulate her.

There are sooooooooooo many more I’d like to list…

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House Update ~ Chronicles of a bungled real estate deal ~ Kitchen Counters & Floor Part 1

We have priced just about every type of kitchen counter top there is at every home improvement store within 150 miles. We finally decided to do it ourselves. We still wanted a farm style family kitchen feel. I had a piece of butcher block that had been siting around for years unused, it was part of a kitchen cart kit that mostly got destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. I recently sanded it and mineral oiled it. It has ‘weathered’ really well over the last month, so we finally decided we were going to put in butcher block counter tops. When all was said and done we are also going to save over $3000.00 dollars by using real wood instead of a manufactured cheap laminate.

We really like the color and it compliments the stain on the cabinets as wells as the floor tiles we’ve picked.

So today we started with the “baking center” side of the kitchen. It was a straighter shot with no cut outs. We thought that would be the safer way to test the waters so to speak and make sure we weren’t biting off more than we wanted.

Hubby started by attaching the side by side units together and putting a spacer in the rear to straighten out the edges. He then cut a thin piece of CDX as a base top.

Don’t you just love my kitchen as a staging area?

Then we laid out the first two pieces to match the grains. Then hubby cut the back splash pieces and we leveled and attached the back splashes to each piece. Then we took them back off and applied a good layer of heavy duty liquid nails.

We lined them up well and then weighted them down (I knew some day hubby’s weights would come in handy) and left them to cure. Tomorrow I will sand them good and then mineral oil them so they can start to cure.

We decided on 18×18 inch ceramic tile for the floor, but are not ready to do the floors yet, those will be last. But, every time we go to Home Depot I pick up 6 tiles and have just been laying them in the kitchen. Eventually I’ll have all the tiles without having broken my back to bring them home (they are really heavy) and I’m hoping that is about the time we’re actually ready to do the floor LOL.

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Camera Critters – Mom nobody will play with me…

hosted by Misty at Camera Critters

Mom, no one will play with me!! He gets that same look no matter the season, inside or out! He’ll sit like this for hours. There’s only so much playing any of us can do in the house during the winter, but we do play ‘psuedo catch’ and fetch every morning. When Whiskey takes a toy to him, he’s no longer interested in playing. Fickle guy he is! Some of you will remember that this “used” to be my favorite chair. The only thing he’s ever chewed up was the cushion to this chair. I replaced it with the brown pillow and it’s now “HIS” chair. It’s hard to believe he’s an 80 pound dog when he curls up this small. This is where he sleeps every night and he stands and barks at me when I vacuum under the pillow!

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Aloha Friday & FIll-Ins

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would participate and take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

Today’s question: Are you going to a Superbowl party? And are you making a special recipe? We always stay home and I make lots of special things for the day, everyone is welcome, but I hate going anywhere else.

Hosted by Janet at Friday Fill-Ins

1. I’d really like a Round Table Italian Garlic Supreme pizza right now.

2. Damn is the word you’d most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is all relative.

4. Johnny Depp is the one and only believable Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like graham crackers and Hershey bars go around the marshmallows.

6. Some people go on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to making a homemade pizza to appease the craving #1 gave me, tomorrow my plans include disassembling the upstairs linen closet so we can open the wall behind it trying to get at the shower plumbing to fix the leak once and for all and Sunday, I want to do some apron sewing and then the SUPERBOWL of course!

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Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Superbowl Edition

hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

These are always a crowd pleaser.

HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 1/2 pound beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base

Heat olive oil and add ground beef.
Generously salt and pepper.
Brown beef, onion and garlic. Drain.
Add brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, steak seasoning and beef base. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.
Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Serve on fresh baked buns.

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$1.11 for a Miracle

Here’s another one of those emails that crossed my path that warms the heart and needs to be shared. Snopes says it is unconfirmed, but I choose to believe there are people this kind and generous out there doing random acts of kindness.

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

‘And what do you want?’ the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,’ he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

‘Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,’ Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. ‘He’s really, really sick…and I want to buy a miracle.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ said the pharmacist.

‘His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now So how much does a miracle cost?’

‘We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,’ the pharmacist said, softening a little.

‘Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.’

The pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, ‘What kind of a miracle does your b rother need?’

‘I don’t know,’ Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.’

‘How much do you have?’ asked the man from Chicago

‘One dollar and eleven cents,’ Tess answered barely audibly.

‘And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.’

‘Well, what a coincidence,’ smiled the man. ‘A dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. ‘

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said ‘Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.’

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

‘That surgery,’ her Mom whispered. ‘was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?’

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost…one dollar and eleven cents….plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need…

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

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Can I Borrow $25?

Every now and then a special email comes across my desk that I can’t resist sharing. This is one of them. We all have to remember what is important in life, it’s the people in our lives, not the ‘things’.

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: ‘Daddy, may I ask you a question?’

DAD: ‘Yeah sure, what it is?’ replied the man.

SON: ‘Daddy, how much do you make an hour?’

DAD: ‘That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?’ the man said angrily.

SON: ‘I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?’

DAD: ‘If you must know, I make $50 an hour.’

SON: ‘Oh,’ the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: ‘Daddy, may I please borrow $25?’

The father was furious, ‘If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don’t work hard everyday for such childish frivolity’s.’

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

‘Are you asleep, son?’ He asked.

‘No daddy, I’m awake,’ replied the boy.

‘I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier’ said the man. ‘It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $25 you asked for.’

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. ‘Oh, thank you daddy!’ he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

‘Why do you want more money if you already have some?’ the father grumbled.

‘Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,’ the little boy replied.

‘Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.’

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours… But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

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Slow Cooking Thursday ~ Cherry Pork Chops & Potatoes

Hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

CHERRY PORK CHOPS & POTATOES

4 extra thick pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
3 large russet potatoes
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces Velveeta, cut into chunks
1 can Comstock cherries

Melt butter in a large skillet.
Sprinkle salt and pepper generously on both sides of chops.
Brown chops on both sides.
While chops are browning, wash the potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
Spray crock pot with PURE.
Whisk together the soup, milk and sour cream.
Layer potatoes slices, cheese chunks and soup mixture 2 or 3 times.
Lay pork chops on top.
Pour cherries over everything.
Cook on low 6 hours.

I can’t wait to try it with Comstock peaches!

I participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom

, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

, $5 Dinners is hosted by Erin at $5 DInners and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

♥

Category: MISC